Turning a Dream into Reality in Costa Rica

Jackie P. had only been to Costa Rica once before, and it was a whirlwind trip with one of her daughters. She really hadn’t done much travelling in the past two decades due to her farm in Canada requiring 24/7 attention. She’s just returned back to Canada after visiting the Pacific Blue development in Costa Rica’s southern Nicoya Peninsula. Not only did Jackie visit, she purchased a lot during her Discovery Weekend, and couldn’t be more excited for the future!

“After my husband passed away, I downsized the farm making it more manageable, but it was still a handful”. After all of her children moved out of the house and began travelling themselves, Jackie realized that she missed exploring the world as she had in her earlier years. “Turning 60 was a catalyst for many changes in my life. After that short trip to Costa Rica with my daughter 2 years ago, I decided to return on my own and see what options would be available for me”.

Jackie chose to head to the Nicoya Peninsula because it’s just far enough off the beaten track to not attract hordes of tourists, but still offers amenities that are attractive to her. Not to mention affordable real estate.

“Costa Rica seems to strike the perfect balance for me. Aside from being able to escape Canada’s winters to the year-round warmth, the flora – lush, wild jungles paired with endless beaches and warm ocean water and the fauna – scarlet macaws, howler monkeys, friendly tapirs so many exotic animals, was all a big draw for me. Having grown up in a small town, and then owning the farm for so many years, I was also attracted to the southern Nicoya Peninsula for the small, personable towns that are scattered along the coast. The local people are extremely friendly and welcoming and I don’t even live there yet!”

Jackie chose a lot in the Pacific Blue community because they made it “easy and accessible”. “Before heading down to Playa Tambor, I didn’t know much about what it meant to buy land or a home abroad. Working with Judy at Pacific Blue was a breeze. It just makes sense to use their designers and builder – I wouldn’t even know where to start when it comes to permits and all the other necessary paperwork involved. To try and have gone it alone would have been much too overwhelming!

I ended up purchasing a lot that will capture both the ocean and the glorious mountain views. It’s in a gated community, which was appealing to me. The house itself will be a bungalow and will feel like it’s perched on the side of the mountain. It will have 3 bedrooms a pool and a wrap-around deck. I likely won’t be living there year-round, so may rent it out during the time I’m not there. This is definitely something I’m thinking about as I plan the design. Thankfully, the designers are helping me with this as well! All of my family is healthy and adventurous, so having access to hiking trails and horseback riding in addition to so many varieties of fresh fruit and veggies – all the time – was a huge bonus too.“

Jackie visited Costa Rica with a dream to someday live there. Having the opportunity to experience the area and the people through a Discovery Weekend opened up a whole-new view of this beautiful country and what it has to offer to people like Jackie. She was able to explore the towns in the area, visit the national parks, eat the local food and just chill with the locals and other expats living in the area.

Current Topics

We’re taught from an early age to accept that we can’t have everything we want… that we have to share or compromise. Thankfully, now that you’re an adult, and you’re considering a property purchase abroad, these ‘rules’ don’t apply.

We frequently refer to Costa Rica’s southern Nicoya Peninsula as a ‘hidden gem’. Naturally, those already owning and/or living in this tropical oasis would prefer it stays that way…

Where International exists to recommend a variety of International real estate options. Where International requires developers to meet stringent criteria before offering them to you. Conversely, any inspections we conduct on projects or individuals should not be misinterpreted as a guarantee by Where International. International real estate is not immune to the ups and downs that occur in North American real estate; property values are never guaranteed to increase.

Where International is not accountable for the orchestration or deliverance of Discovery Weekends. We provide them to you on behalf of our developer partners. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance, as you would with any trip out of your home country. In addition, we advise you complete your own due diligence, purchase title insurance and always use a local attorney to assist with all transactions. In the event that a reader purchases a property from a recommended developer, Where International receives a sum from the developer.